Enthusiasts go batty for weekly watching event

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a mass of San Antonio’s very own Mexican Free-Tailed bats.

The I-35 bridge plays host to a colony of Texas’ state flying mammals, which make their hunting departure every evening at dusk. Bat enthusiasts can watch the daily swarm every Tuesday while learning facts about the critters as part of Bat Loco educational events.

Matthew Driffill, an education specialist with the San Antonio River Authority, has been working on bat education events for years, the first debuting in the summer of 2010.

“Bats (are the cause of) many environmental benefits,” said Driffill. “The common person would think the opposite, which is why we dedicate so much energy to these bat talks.”

The Mexican Free-Tailed bats, specifically, eat tons of insects. This can prevent crop damage and reduce levels of necessary pesticides, which can save money for farmers and lessen chemical environmental impact.

Driffill said events like these have been popular since their inception. The first of this year’s Bat Loco events drew 300 attendees.

There are approximately 20,000 bats living under the I-35 bridge in an expansion joint. The colony is made up of males and non-reproducing females. Bats are drawn there because of the size of the opening, the height and the temperature.

“These tend to be smaller colonies,” Driffill said. “(When they come out) there are a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. It’s interesting to watch … it’s not intimating or scary at all.”

The bat talks begin at 7:30 p.m. and start with talks by rotating speakers for each week. The first couple weeks allow for more Q&A and bat-related activities, but as the sunset gets earlier, there will be less time before the bats make their exit.

The events are presented by the Paseo del Rio Association, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Bat Conservation International and the San Antonio River Authority.

To find the location for the talks, Driffill suggests parking at the Pearl near La Gloria, then entering the river access level. There will be signage for the talks, which will take place about a five minute walk away near Camden Street.